Kim Soo-hyun (; born 25 January 1985), better known by the

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Claudia Kim, is a South Korean actress and model. She has appeared in Western films such as '' Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (2015), '' The Dark Tower'' (2017), and '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'' (2018), as well as in

Korean dramas Korean drama (), also known as K-drama or Koreanovela, refers to Korean-language television shows made in South Korea. These shows began to be produced around the early 1960s, but were mostly consumed domestically until the rise of the Korean Wa ...

such as ''Queen of the Game'' (2006–2007), ''

Gyeongseong Creature ''Gyeongseong Creature'' () is a South Korean historical mystery- horror television series written by Kang Eun-kyung, directed by Jung Dong-yoon, Roh Young-sub and Jo Yeong-min, and starring Park Seo-joon, Han So-hee, Claudia Kim, Lee Moo-s ...

'' (2023–2024), and ''

The Atypical Family ''The Atypical Family'' () is a 2024 South Korean television series starring Jang Ki-yong, Chun Woo-hee, Go Doo-shim and Claudia Kim. It aired on JTBC from May 4, to June 9, 2024, every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 ( KST). It is also available ...

'' (2024).

Early life

Kim was born as Kim Soo-hyun in South Korea, on 25 January 1985. She spent six years of her childhood in the United States before returning to South Korea. Her dream in middle school was to become an international lawyer, and in high school she hoped to become a TV anchor. She was inspired by watching

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

's headline news anchor Karuna Shinsho in Asia. She completed her studies abroad to continue her dream of becoming an anchor and entered

Ewha Womans University Ewha Womans University () is a private women's research university in Seoul, South Korea. It was originally founded as Ewha Haktang on May 31, 1886, by missionary Mary F. Scranton. Currently, Ewha Womans University is one of the world's largest f ...

as an International Studies (DIS) major. While enrolled, she worked as a reporter and announcer for three years in the school's English-language newspaper, ''Ewha Voice''. She also worked as an intern reporter for ''

The Korea Times ''The Korea Times'' () is a daily English-language newspaper in South Korea. It is a sister paper of the ''Hankook Ilbo'', a major Korean language, Korean-language daily. It is the oldest active daily English-language newspaper in South Korea. ...

'' and

Arirang TV Arirang TV () is a South Korean international broadcaster owned and operated by Korea International Broadcasting Foundation. It broadcasts current news and programs offering political, economic, and cultural content from a Korean perspective t ...

Career

Kim's interests in music, film, and other entertainment led her to participate in a Korea-China

modeling A model is an informative representation of an object, person, or system. The term originally denoted the Plan_(drawing), plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French language, French and Italian language, Italian ult ...

competition in 2005, which she won top prize in. Kim was the first winner of the award who had never worked as a model. Producer Oh Se-kang saw Kim on a morning talk show, which led to her acting debut in the television series ''Queen of the Game'' (2006). Kim plays Park Joo-won, a friend of Lee Shin-jeon (

Joo Jin-mo Joo Jin-mo may refer to: * Joo Jin-mo (actor, born 1958), South Korean actor * Joo Jin-mo (actor, born 1974) Joo Jin-mo (born Park Jin-tae on 26 September 1974), is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the films '' ...

) and a law firm's international lawyer who loves him. For the drama, she won the New Star award at the 2006 SBS Awards for Acting. Kim went on to appear in supporting roles in medical drama ''

Brain The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...

'' (2011) and spy comedy ''

7th Grade Civil Servant ''7th Grade Civil Servant'' () is a 2013 South Korean television series starring Choi Kang-hee and Joo Won as rookie spies who trained together, and later become NIS agents who must hide their real identities from each other even as they fal ...

'' (2013), as well as a leading role in the sitcom '' Standby'' (2012). Kim gained international attention for her roles in ''

Marco Polo Marco Polo (; ; ; 8 January 1324) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known a ...

'' (2014) and '' Avengers: Age of Ultron'' (2015). Korea Avengers MOU 06

Kim portrays Nagini in the 2018 film '' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald''. In 2019, Italian fashion house

Max Mara Max Mara (Italian aks 'ma:ra is an Italian fashion business that markets upscale ready-to-wear clothing. It was established in 1951 in Reggio Emilia by Achille Maramotti (7 January 1927 – 12 January 2005). As of October 2024 the company ha ...

invited her to attend the annual "Women in Film Gala", which has advocated for women and gender equality in the entertainment industry since 1973. Hence, she became the first Korean actress to the attend that event. In March 2021, Kim signed with new agency

YG Entertainment YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...

. In 2023, Kim appeared in the 1945 historical drama ''

'', which aired on Netflix. In May 2025, Kim signed with new agency

Saram Entertainment Saram Entertainment () is an entertainment company in South Korea, founded by Lee So-young in 2006 and partakes in artist management and film production. It currently operates as a subsidiary of Standus Corporation. Current artists Actors * Cl ...

Personal life

Kim is a

pescetarian Pescetarianism ( ; sometimes spelled pescatarianism) is a dietary practice in which seafood is the only source of meat in an otherwise vegetarian diet. The inclusion of other animal products, such as eggs and dairy, is optional. According to res ...

. Kim married

Korean-American Korean Americans () are Americans of full or partial Korean ethnic descent. While the broader term Overseas Korean in America () may refer to all ethnic Koreans residing in the United States, the specific designation of Korean American impli ...

businessman Matthew Shampine on 14 December 2019, at the

Hotel Shilla Hotel Shilla Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean operator of luxury hotels and duty-free shops. It is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. The company is an affiliate of Samsung. History Hotel Shilla started operations in March 1979 at the di ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. They have a daughter, born on 1 October 2020. Kim announced her divorce after five years of marriage on 23 September 2024.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web series

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Claudia 1985 births Living people South Korean film actresses South Korean television actresses South Korean female models Ewha Womans University alumni South Korean expatriates in the United States 21st-century South Korean actresses Actresses from Seoul